Control for electric advertising signs



Nov. 25, 1930. E. M. ROSENFIELD 1,732,883"

CONTROL FOR ELECTRIC ADVERTISING SIGNS ATTORNEY Patented Nov 25, 1930 filam nt; RosfinFIELD, QF NEW SrOBK, th if i s a Tliisi iriuentioh relates fto an electrically I operated sign equipment for motor vehicles v and :moreyparticularly :is directeclto an ad- Wertising installation fortaXicabs or the like,

in which the signand the taxinceter of the vehiclelarecoop ratingly interlocked for conoornitantservices 1 I practicingthisinVentionit isacontenr it platedto jrnountan electrically operated sign K injthe passengerjcoinpartnlent of the taxicab alncltoplovide a ,positivefifool-prootinstal 5 i lationk whereby the sign is made operative '1 onlyxjcluring the time j the manualcontrol; of

the taximete is 1 position] to cause the flattrtoregiste13;z: T i c l :;:;:0ne object1of the invention-is to vprovide an improved 1 electrically {operatedsignin- 4 1 fstallatioh ofqthe" character? described which shall interlock with the taximeterina novel manner: whereby the reign i'is o-perated 1 O ly lwhilei-the taxirneter is registering a ifare 1+ i Another objectds to provide installation- Ofytllfi characterdescribedlwhich can 1 be -readil5 applied totaximeter -vehiolesgofI. standard construction withoutlrequiring exon tensive alterations or changes of the-standard equipment.

i 1 Agfurther object Of-theinvention is to feo inanualcontrol of a taximeter whichshall causethe-"chauffeur the. least inconvenience yet positively operate theelectrrctmgn to; function in a desired sequence concomitantly ,be obvious features ofconstruction;combination of ele-, inents{a-ndarrangemeht of parts which will; be exemplified in the construction hereinafter "described and of which thefscope-of ap-p'li-ov claims.

Otherobjects of this invention will in I Q r i i i The =invent1on accordingly conslsts 1n the cation will be;

indicated i .the following In the acc'ompanying'drawing inflwhich is a shown one'of the variouspossible illustrative uembodimentsrof thls'inventlon, "f 5g Figs l is affragmentary side elevational and in part hereinafterpointecl corr cti n nriicrmoghnuhnurismosigns an installationembodying the invention; a

Fig.12 is a cross-sectional v'iewtakenin hrFlgtvg is an elevational viewit partljr i-hl H section, showingin detail the electric' switch e means interlocking with the ffiag control "of taximeter, and

Fig. 3. it

I w thl ne c s ory em ody th inv tion- $1 .6? c be n m t rmey b o l ny el understood, construction, the; taxinreterbeing EFNT YOFF EK 1* a Vehicle, partly sectionrshowinlgt I Eigget satop View ofthedetailshown in it 1' {Referring'in'detail to the dra ing,j,1Ode- V motes-a fragmentary portion of a taxicab]. equipped with a. taxinueter l1 {and provided 11 ositi'onediadjacent the chaufieurs seat 12 i Within convenient reach for manipulating aman'ual 'control means, suchas the pivoted flagfi mernber 13. The latter isjadapted or vacant position when;upstanding jas shown in full lines inFigs, 1, 2 and 3.1 The vehicle 10 is provided with the usualfcom qpartment-l l in which the passenger rides." i

:1: Adjacent the Wall partition of the coma provide, in an installation -01 the character described, a simple interlocking mechanism,

for engaging Withithe sflag or the like posters, (not shown) illuminated byfsaid 1 la np 17. Said posters may be movably mounted in the casing of the sign to register with the Window openinglof the suitable electrically-operatedmechanism; such asvfjor; example described in' detail in my jPatent 1,760,644 May here shown, t 1e casing}; of the sign16is hung onapair of piv- 'otingbracketslS which aresecured to the roof "cross-braces 19. l i l r h 20 denotes'a storage battery which provides j a. reserve source of electricypowe iw the ve-.

to cause the meterll 'toqregisterwhen swung s n plow-1r posit on, shown 1n dotted llIlQS in F1'g., 3, and mdlcatmg the non-registering hicle power plantequiprnefitbr lightihg 'and 1 other purposes, battery being connected [with the charging outfit of the rrehicletpower plant (not shown) in a well understood manner.

Circuit wires 21 interconnect the electrically operated portion of the sign 16 with said storage battery 20 and a switch 22 is interposed in the circuit between the battery and the sign for controlling the power received from the battery by the said elec tric operating parts of the sign. Switch 22 may be housed in a casing 23 positioned adjaeent the taximeter 11. Said switch may be of the toggle type having the end of its handle 24: pivotally engaged, as at 25, with the lower end of a lever bar26, the latter being mounted in said casing 23 in any suitable manner for swinging movement about the fulcrum 27. The upper end of said lever bar maybe pivoted, as at 28, to one end 29 of a horizontally disposed barrier member 29. The portion of said member adjacent said end 29 is mounted for sliding in and out of the casing 23, and the portion 29 of-said member extending outside said casing is provided with an elongated slot 29 through which the flag control 13 extends.

From the foregoing description and Fi 3 and 4 of the drawing it' is apparentthat swingingthe flag control 13 from its upstanding position, shown in full lines, in Fig. 3 to its down position shown in dotted lines, and sliding the barrier member 29 into the casing will throw the handle 24 of the toggle switch 22 from its off position shown in fulllines into its on position shown in the dotted lines. The switch parts when in on position feeds power through the circuit to the sign from the battery, concomitantly as the taximeter registers. It is thus seen that a passenger in the compartment 14 with the meterregistering will obf serve the electrically illuminated sign 16. When the passenger vacates the compartment the chauffeur swings the flag control 13 from its down position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, to its upstanding position to make the 'taximeter non-registering. In so doing he will. slidethe barrier member 29 out of the casing and thereby swing the h andie of the toggle switch 22 from the on posit-ion shown in the dotted lines (Fig. 3) to the off position shown in the full lines. It should be noted that the slot 29 of the barrier member is so proportioned and positioned that the flag control 13 cannot be swung into its full upstanding position without withdrawing the barrier member and swinging the handle of the toggle switch 22 to its ofi position as shown. Nor can the flag control 13 be swung to its down position without sliding the barrier member into the casing 23 and swinging the handle of the toggle switch 22 to its off position.

The toggle switch 22 is of the standard snap type, therefore, the switch handle 24 cannot beleft in a half way'position but will move to either the position shown in the full linesor that shown in dotted lines. This arrangement of elements in the combination provides apositive means for causing concomitant operation of the flag control and the switch 22.

To further make the installation foolproof, a bell-crank 30 may be pivoted, as at 31, in the casing 23, one arm 30 of the crank being terminated within a dog for engaging in a notch 26 provided in the lever bar 26. while the other arm 30 of crank is extended through an opening 23 in the casing and projects in the path of movement of the flag control 13. The latter when swung down is adapted 'to depress the arm 3 V and to swing the dog of the arm 30 to engage in the notch 26. A tension spring 31 may be provided between the housing 23 and the arm 30 for normally retaining the latter in its extreme upwardly swung position to disengage dog from the notch 26. By providing the bell-crank 30, as above described, the switch 22 is positively locked and retained in its on position while the flag control 13 is swung down, and the barrier member 29 cannotbe manipulated or accidently moved until theflag control is raised. 7 i

, It will thus be seen that there is'p'rovided a device in which the several obj ects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use. i i

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described. my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a motor vehicle equipped with a manually controlled taximeter, an electric sign, of a switch for controlling the operation of said sign, and manually operated means detached from and interlocking with the manual control of said taXimeter for actuating the switch.

2. In a motor vehicle of the character dc scribed, equipped with a taximeter having a movable manually controlling member, an electric power source, and a sign connected in circuit to receive power from said source. of means for openingand closing said circuit during the'operation of said member, said means including a barrier displaceable from the path of movement of said member as and for the purposedescribed-and specified.

3. In a vehicle installation of the character described, equippedwith a taximeter having I a manual control, an electric power source,

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and a sign connected in circuit with said, source, of manual actuated means'for lockmg said manual control with sa d circuit whereby the latter may be opened and closed during the actuation of said control.

4;. in a vehicle installation of the character described, equipped with a taximeter having a movable member manually operated for selectively making thetaximeter operative and inoperative, an electric power source, and asign connected in circuit with said source,

of a switch for opening and closing said circuit, sald switch includingabarrlerlnterlocking with said member displaceable from the path of movement of the latter as and for the purpose described and vspecified.

5. In an installation of the character described, the combmation with a taximeter having a movable flag register control, "of 7 an electric switch adapted toconnect in c1rcult wlth a power source an electric sign, and

a barrier means interlocking with the flag control whereby said means isdisplaced from the path of the-fiag control for closing the sign circuit to said source while moving said "control for causing the taximetertoregister. 1 6. In an installation of the characterlde scribed, the combination with a taximeter having a movable flag register control, of an electrlc switch adapted to connect 1n c1r cuit with a powerfsource an electricsign, a

barrier member cooperating with the flag control whereby said member whendisplaced from the pat'hof the flag control closes the switch circuit, and means cooperating with said member for retalnlng. said swltch 1n 01rcult closing positionas long as said flag control causes the taXimeter to register.

7. In'an installation of the character described, the combination with a taximeter having manual control means for throwing the latter in and out of operation, of an electric switchadapted to connect and disconnect an electric slgn from a power SOHI'CBfHlOUIliH ed adjacent the exterior of said taximeter, means for concomitantly operating said switch and control means, and means for releasably locking the switch in eliectiveposition against movement when the taximeter is registering.

8. In an installation of the character described, the combination with a taximeter having manual control means for throwingthe latter in and out of operation, of an electric switch adapted to connect and disconnect an electric sign from a power source mounted adjacent the exterior of said taximeter, means for concomitantly operating said switch and control means, and means for releasably locking the switch in eiiec-tive position against,

movement when the taximeter is registering,

said locking means being'actuated by said control means.

9. In a motor vehicle equipped witha taximeter having a manual control, a storage battery mounted on said vehicle, and an elecice 

